Chlamydia

What is chlamydia

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is transmitted through sexual contact. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease.

In the USA, about 2.8 million new cases are registered each year, if we equate the population of Bulgaria with that of the USA, there should be 56-60,000 new cases here annually.

But according to data from the Ministry of Health, around 32-35,000 people are infected in Bulgaria every year.

They are most often infected:

• Young people – aged 24 and under;
• Persons of Roma origin;
• People with -low social and economic status;

What are the symptoms

Symptoms depend on the sex of the infected person:

• In women
– In the majority of cases, those affected have no complaints;
– Bleeding after sexual contact or in the periods between periods;
– Pain in the lower abdomen and burning pain during urination;
– Secretion from the vagina;

• In men
– About 25-50% of infected men do not develop the characteristic signs and symptoms;
– Whitish discharge from the penis;
– Pain and burning when urinating;
– Inflammation of the seminiferous tubules in the testicles, tenderness or pain in the testicles;

What are the causes

Chlamydia is an infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Infection can occur in two ways:

• Through sexual contact /oral, vaginal or anal/;
• From mother to child during the passage of the child through the birth canal. The infection can lead to pneumonia or serious eye infections in the newborn, especially in children born to infected mothers.

When should we seek medical attention

If the following symptoms are present, seek medical attention as soon as possible:

• Fever;
• Abdominal pain;
• Penile or vaginal discharge;
• Pain during sexual intercourse;
• Frequent urination;

If you have had sexual contact with an infected person, you should also immediately consult a doctor.

All sexual partners of an infected person should be treated to prevent the spread of the disease.

Chlamydia Treatment

Treatment is relatively easy. A single dose of an antibiotic such as azithromycin in tablet form is prescribed.

But it is possible to prescribe another antibiotic such as doxycycline tablets, which is taken twice a day for 1 week. In about 95% of cases, a complete cure occurs with one course of antibiotic therapy.

As soon as you find out that you have chlamydia, be sure to share this with your current sexual partner.

Experts recommend notifying everyone you’ve had sex with in the past two months.

And if you haven’t had sex in the last 2 months, notify the last person you had sex with.

How to protect ourselves?

• Avoid sexual contact with partners who you think may infect you;
• Mandatory use of latex condoms during sexual intercourse;
• Advise your infected sexual partners to receive treatment and only have sex with them again after they show you proof that they have recovered. In ¼ of the cases, the infection recurs because the other sexual partner is not treated.

What are the possible complications of not treating?

In most cases, treatment with antibiotics is effective and a complete cure is achieved.

Possible complications if not treated are:

• Most women develop pelvic inflammatory disease;
• Some women may develop a specific liver disease – pariehepatitis;
• Women with pelvic inflammatory disease become sterile due to blockage of the fallopian tubes through which the egg travels from the ovary to the uterus;
• Men are more likely to develop reactive arthritis or Reiter’s Syndrome. They also feel a painful swelling of their testicles.